Signature

Signature started as my "Ultimate RPG." While making it, I had a breakthrough in terms of mechanics.

The result? One simple, fast mechanic for character generation, action resolution, setting control, and story control, that handles any level of power, and any level of detail. The designer can customize by setting which behaviors are rewarded, and which are penalized. There is also a generic "power" mechanic called Resources, which reflects all the various kinds of special powers in a given setting.

The settings below use Signature 3.1.2 and below. Signature 6.0.2 is radically simpler, yet also more comprehensive, incorporating RPG theory from the Forge. The 6.0.2 version is also typo-free!

Signature 6.0.2 can be bought in PDF format at the Store.

Samples

Trait Use
Provides common examples of Trait use.

New Signature Techniques
Wild Pool, Heart Points, the Luck Trait, Complications, and Advanced Technology.

New Signature Tactics
Includes Feints, Dirty Tricks, Prepared Defense, and several other tactics.

Goals of Signature

In order of decreasing importance:

1. Allow quick and easy creation of setting-specific games.
2. Be mechanically elegant.
3. Cover a wide variety of settings, genres and tones.
4. Allow quick creation of adventures.
5. Be quick to learn for newplayers and GMs.
6. Game balance.
7. High levels of detail.

Strengths of Signature

Fast chargen

Come up with your Signature Trait and a brief paragraph describing it; or, if that's too hard, use one of the setting's suggested Signature Traits. That's it. You're done.
One mechanic

Signature relies on one basic mechanic for action resolution, character growth, -and- character recovery. The mechanic can handle any level of detail and any level of power.
Fast to learn

Because there is only one basic mechanic, Signature is fast to learn.
Simplicity

While other games may have several types of statistics, such as Attributes, Skills, Disadvantages, Advantages, etc. Signature has only one kind — Traits, which all obey the same basic mechanic.
Breadth

Signature's Traits can be practically anything. They can be personality traits like Pendragon's Virtues, societies like Aria, even separate personalities like Wraith's Shadow. Just name the Trait and rate it.
Depth

There is no hard limit to how many Traits a character can have, so long as it is plausible that the character have that Trait at a given rating.
Fast setting generation

I usually spend only an hour creating "pocket settings" from my notes.
Easy setting customization

In Signature, settings have Traits just like characters do. Instead of spending pages describing a setting, Signature can do it in a page or less for complex settings, and a paragraph for simple ones, using Traits that anyone can understand — not like Aria's obscure mechanics.
G/N/S bias

You can lean a game setting towards Gamism, Narrativism, or Simulationism by picking mechanics from Signature's full list of mechanics. Signature is FUDGE made right — you get advice on which mechanics to use when, and why.
Easily change power levels in a setting

By use of "scales" you can go from street-level to super to cosmic without altering anything else.
Easily set and change the level of heroism in a setting

Signature relies upon a system of Wild Points to determine how cinematic a setting is. Rules are given that allow a setting's cinematic feel to be changed from realistic to wild without having to change anything else in the setting.
Easily set and change the feel of a game

Signature has Behavior Rules that cover meta-game and in-game play, such as the "Tone Bonus" that gives bonuses to play that is in-tone with the setting. Want to change the tone? Change the Tone Bonus.
Easily change game continuity

Signature has "Carry-Over Traits" that allow the GM to run games with continuity from episodic to soap opera. It's even possible to change continuity "on the fly" by re-introducing old Carry-Over Traits or ommiting recent ones.
Just the right amount of detail

Signature's mechanic can gloss over simple situations and provide in-depth play for important ones, at any time desired.
Just the right kind of detail

Ever had a player protest the "realism" of a game's mechanic? Signature allows the Guide to designate one of the players as a "Simulator." Simulators adjudicate the "realism" of their speciality and advise players on how their expert PCs should act to maintain thedesired level of "realism."
Living Setting

Signature is designed to support living, breathing settings and campaigns. Through Turning Points, it is easy in Signature to make a campaign that progresses on its own, but one which can still be influenced greatly by the PCs.
Supports Multiple Settings in a Single Campaign

All Signature settings use the same basic rules.

Thanks

I would formally like to thank Alfredo for reading the 5.2.1 version of Signature and offering criticisms. I would also like to thank Berin Kinsman for producing the first PDF version of Signature and reminding me to copyright the damn thing.